TV Campaign Ads Lesson

BELLWORK

Analyze the political cartoon on page 479, answer the Caption

Question.

Homework for this week

Chapter 17 Assessment:

1-16, 18-21

Pages 500-501

Due Friday

Review of yesterday’s lesson

http://blog.flocabulary.com/presidential-campaign-ads-lesson-plan/

TAKE NOTES OF EVERYTHING IN:

Just kidding!

No notes today, but you will need a

piece of paper for the writing activities

Campaign Advertisements

Essential Question:What makes an effective

campaign ad?

Campaign Advertisements•In yesterday’s lesson we learned about the elements that make up a campaign. We learned that successful campaigns rely heavily on broadcasting campaign advertisements on television and the internet. In today’s lesson we are going to be learning about the history of TV campaign ads, as well as analyzing various presidential campaign ads from past election cycles.

The History of TV Campaign Ads•Every 4 years, presidential election time and we are bombarded with political advertising while trying to watch our favorite TV programs like The Kardashians and The Bachelor.

•It seems like every cycle, the amount of ads increase dramatically, in the 2012 election year alone an estimated $4 billion was spent on political ads.

The History of TV Campaign Ads (Continued)

•The first presidential candidate to take advantage of the newly created technology of television was Dwight D. Eisenhower. Here is one of the ads his campaign team created for his 1952 campaign:

The History of TV Campaign Ads (Continued)

•Eisenhower’s ads were well received and proven successful when he was elected president. Politicians now realized the power of the television it was used extensively in the 1960 election between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy.

•Kennedy proved to be better in front of the camera compared to Nixon, therefore winning the election. Here is one of his ads:

The History of TV Campaign Ads (Continued)

•After Kennedy’s death, Lyndon B. Johnson became president and in the 1964 election of which he ran we see political ads change greatly, here is an ad he use:

•QUICK WRITE: There had never been an ad quite like this before. How does this ad differ from Eisenhower and Kennedy’s ads? Do you think it invoked emotion in its

viewers? What types of emotion do you think viewers felt?

The History of TV Campaign Ads (Continued)

•In the decades that followed, Johnson’s election, most political ads have gone on the attack. Based on results of elections, it seems political ads are most powerful when they are saying “don’t vote for this candidate” rather than “vote for me because…” This is evident in the 1980 presidential election between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Reagan was able to successfully run a string of attack ads on Jimmy Carter, of which certainly helped him when the election, here is one:• http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1980/podium

The History of TV Campaign Ads (Continued)

•Since Reagan’s success using attack ads, this style has become the norm. Did Reagan create attack ads? No, not quite, they had been around since 1952 but following Reagan’s success they grew in popularity and it is now the style of choice.

•This video showcases the use of attack ads since 1952:• http://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/262115/60-years-of-

presidential-attack-ads-in-one-video/

•QUICK WRITE: How do you personally feel about attack ads? Do you think that politicians should be allowed to use them? Are there alternative styles that would be more affective and less hateful?

The History of TV Campaign Ads (Continued)

•A study done by the Wesleyan Media Project shows that 70% of the ads that aired during the 2012 presidential election cycle were negative and/or attack ads. This was a 10% increase from another study that was done on the 2008 presidential race.

•The birth of super PACs in 2010 is responsible the increase of negative/attack ads. In 2008, 91% of ads were sponsored by candidates, whereas in 2012 that percentage dropped to 35%. Outside groups, such as super PACs sponsored nearly 65% of the total ads that aired in the 2012 election cycle. Of those 65%, 86% were considered negative/attack ads.

•More than likely, since super PACs are growing at an alarming rate, the number of negative/attacks ads will also increase exponentially.

Closing Activity:Quick Write

What do you think the artist’s intention was in

creating this?

How far is it from reality?

Do you think politicians should required to be more truthful when making attack ads?

Why?